Carrying cases



NOV. 12, 1963 w UGGER CARRYING CASES Filed April 26. 1961 INVENTOR.

United States Patent C) 3,119,375 CARRYEIG CASES William Uggerhy, i322 indiana St., Racine, Wis. Filed Apr. Z6, 1961, Ser. No. 105,641 2 till. 19d-ll) This invention is directed to carrying cases, relating in particular to carrying cases of the brief case type, wherein the interior thereof is composed of folded attached sections for a podium structure. i

The object of this invention is to provide a carrying case of substantially a `sie or shape of the brief case type when in closed position and which includes in its interior folded members which constitute a folded podium, said folded members including a center section which is permanently and hingedly mounted to the top wall of the case with an additional folded member, in each instance, hinged to each end of the center section.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carrying case of substantially a size or shape of the brief case when in closed condition and which includes in its nter-lor, folded members which constitute a folded podium, with the back wall of the case so constructed that it literally seals the case in closed position and in open position, forms the bottom support for the podium and additionally provides guide portions to maintain the side supports of the podium in temporary fixed vertical position.

With the above and other objects in v-iew, the invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction 'and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the drawings:

PlGURE l is a perspective View of my carrying case in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional v-iew of my invention on the line l-Zl of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of my invention with the rear panel in lowered position.

FIGURE 4 is a side view in cross-section with the podium in operative position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, where like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts, the reference character lil denotes the carrying case, as a whole, in folded condition having a front panel wall 11, a rear panel wall l2, a top wall i3, side panel walls 14 and a bottom wall l5, see FIGURES 2 and 4. The front wall l1 is permanently secured to the top, bottom and side walls i3, 15 and 14, respectively, by gluing and taping land other fastening means, and with the last named walls extending inwardly, at substantially right angles from said front wall.

Attention is directed to the fact that the width of the bottom wall 'or panel l5 is greater than the top wall or panel i3 whereby the width of the side walls i4 is less at the top than at the bottom. The useful purpose for this will be explained later.

The back panel wall l?. is hingedly mounted to the bottom wall le' through use of tape and backing. The outside surface of the rear panel 16 is flat and smooth and has attached adjacent its top edge, spaced securing straps 17. The inside surface i8 of the back panel has a vertically extending rectangularly shaped strip i9 secured substantially flush with each edge Ztl. Each strip 19 terminates just short of the bottom and top edges 21 and 22 respectively, of said back panel leaving a space 23- in each instance which is slightly larger than the thickness 24 and 25, respectively, of the top and bottom walls.

An enlarged rectangularly shaped ap or pocket 26 is secured along its side Iand bottom edges to the inside dat surface 16 of the back panel with its side edges 27 run- :hlm-,375 Patented Nov. l2, i953 "ice ning parallel with the strips 19 and having a channel 28 disposed therebetween.

The width of these channels is slightly greater than the thickness lof the side walls i4 and of suiiicient depth to receive or enclose the entire edge of the side wal-l and a pontion of the area adjacent said edge when said carry ing case is closed. This condition is brought about through the open spaces 23 between the ends of the strips and the top and bottom edges of the back panel whereby, as the oase is closed the top and bottom surfaces adjacent the top and bottom edges of the back panel can be brought to bear directly against the edges of the top and bottom walls i3 and 1S, respectively. In closed condition and by virtue of the fact that the edges of the strips push inward, the top and bottom Walls are supported at their forward edges by the strip ends.

ln this the case can be securely closed when the straps 17 are drawn through the spaced Iand parallel holders 29 fixed -in the front panel wall adjacent the top edge of the panel il.

Disposed within the area 30 bounded by the front and bottom and side wmls, is a ilat member 3l. This member is of slightly smaller area than the inside area 30 bounded by the above mentioned Walls and is hingedly and permanently mounted to the inside face 32 of the top wal-l adjacent said back face 33 of said front wall. Hinged to the side ends of said member 3l are side supports 34, which, when said case is to be closed, fold up against said member 3l which in turn may be caused to lie within the area 3d prior to closing the case. While I have contemplated hinging the supports 3d to the member 3l, the supports 34 could just as readily be hinged to the back surface of the front panel and swung outwardly with the member 3l resting on the top edges of the supports 34 in operative position.

in operation `and when the case is to be opened and the podium is to be used, the following operation takes place. The back panel l2 is caused -to lie ilat in a horizontal position on a table or other supporting surface with the inside face i3 and strips 19 lying exposed. |The member 3l, with the aid of a tab 35 is lifted upwardly, permitting the side supports 34 to depend downwardly. rilhe greater part of the edges of the bottoms of the side supports are positioned by hand in the channels 28 thus temporarily mounting said supports 34 in vertical position and with the forward parts 36 of the supports advanced within the tarea 39. In View of the hinged position of the member 39, the forward part 37 of the member Si. is also confined in the area 3d. in relation to the disposition of the members 31 and side supports 34 in podium position therefore, a speaker or other user is yafforded a strong and completely operable support on which papers can be placed and a speakers platform presented. In addition, to the peculiar mounting of the member 3l and side supports 34, the rear surface 16 of the back panel i2 is set at an angle to provide lan easier support base. When the members 31 and side supports 34 -are stationed below the top panel i3, in operative podium position the top panel assumes the status of a rail 3?@ which obstructs movement of papers or other material forwardly to fall on the table or door to the inconvenience of a user. A still further feature lies in the use of the holders 29 on the front panel il. When the case is being utilized as a podium, :the front panel 1l is, of course, in a vertical position. l contemplate utilizing these clips to mount identifying cards which may present the name of the speaker, the title of the subject matter being discussed, `or cards containing data illustrating points of interest being referred to by the speaker, all of which can be positioned in front of the podium and clearly discernible by an audience.

As will be apparent, the invention is susceptible to various change irl its form, proportion and minor details of construction, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes a-s properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

1. The combination with the body of a carrying case, a front wall, side walls, .a top and bottom wall, said side, top and bottom walls extending inwardly at substantially right angles from said front Wall, -a back Wall, said back wall hingedly mounted to said bottom Wall, a substantially rectangularly shaped dat panel, said panel hinged to the bottom surface of said top Wall adjacent said front Wall, side supports, said side supports normally folded against the inside surface of said front Wall and covered by said panel when said carrying case is closed, a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending rectangularly shaped strips mounted on said back wall substantially iush with the ends thereof and with the ends of said strips terminating just short of the bottom Vand top edges of said back wall leaving a space between the ends of each strip and said last named edges which is greater than the thickness of the top and bottom walls, a rectangularly shaped pocket secured to the inside surface of the back wall with the sides of said pocket parallel with said stnips, a channel of slightly greater width than the thickness of said side walls of said case formed by each strip and the side edges of said pocket in each instance, said supports adaptable to be swung out to vertical position when said oase is opened and said back wall is lowered to horizontal position, said side supports in vertical position Iadaptable to be mounted in said channels with said panel resting on said supports.

2. The combination with the body ot a carrying case, a front wall, side walls, a top and bottom wall, said side, top and bottom Walls extending inwardly at substantially right angles from said front wall, a back wall, said back wall hingedly mounted to ysaid bottom wall, -a substantiallyv rectangul'arly shaped flat panel, said panel lnnged to the bottom surface of said top wall adjacent said front wall, side supports, said side supports normally folded against the inside surface of said front Wall and covered by said panel when said carrying case is closed, a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending rectangularly shaped strips mounted on said back wall substantialily flush with the ends thereof and with the ends of said strips terminating just short of the bottom and top edges of said back wall leaving a space between the ends of each strip `and said last named edges which is greater than the thickness of the top and bottom Walls, a rectangulariy shaped pocket secured to the inside surface of the back wall with the sides of said pocket parallel with said strips, a channel of slightly greater width than the thickness of said side walls of said case formed by each strip and the side edges of said pocket in each instance, said side walls tting within said channels when said oase is closed and with portions of the edges of said top and bottom walls tting Within said spaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 791,506 Simmons `lune 6, 1905 1,292,468 Hominuke lan. 28, 1919 3,034,253 Edwards May 15, 1962 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH THE BODY OF A CARRYING CASE, A FRONT WALL, SIDE WALLS, A TOP AND BOTTOM WALL, SAID SIDE, TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS EXTENDING INWARDLY AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES FROM SAID FRONT WALL, A BACK WALL, SAID BACK WALL HINGEDLY MOUNTED TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULARLY SHAPED FLAT PANEL, SAID PANEL HINGED TO THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID TOP WALL ADJACENT SAID FRONT WALL, SIDE SUPPORTS, SAID SIDE SUPPORTS NORMALLY FOLDED AGAINST THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID FRONT WALL AND COVERED BY SAID PANEL WHEN SAID CARRYING CASE IS CLOSED, A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RECTANGULARLY SHAPED STRIPS MOUNTED ON SAID BACK WALL SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE ENDS THEREOF AND WITH THE LEFT ENDS OF SAID STRIPS TERMINATING JUST SHORT OF THE BOTTOM AND TOP EDGES OF SAID BACK WALL LEAVING A SPACE BETWEEN THE ENDS OF EACH STRIP AND SAID LAST NAMED EDGES WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED POCKET SECURED TO THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE BACK WALL WITH THE SIDES OF SAID POCKET PARALLEL WITH SAID STRIPS, A CHANNEL OF SLIGHTLY GREATER WIDTH THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID CASE FORMED BY EACH STRIP AND THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID POCKET IN EACH INSTANCE, SAID SUPPORTS ADAPTABLE TO BE SWUNG OUT TO VERTICAL POSITION WHEN SAID CASE IS OPENED AND SAID BACK WALL IS LOWERED TO HORIZONTAL POSITION, SAID SIDE SUPPORTS IN VERTICAL POSITION ADAPTABLE TO BE MOUNTED IN SAID CHANNELS WITH SAID PANEL RESTING ON SAID SUPPORTS. 